Bonjour! So you want to learn the beautiful French language? Thinking of potentially taking second-language courses at uOttawa but would like to know about additional learning platforms? An easy way to learn on your own time is with an app.

As an anglophone, I believe it is good to be exposed to a second language such as French. While my French is basic, reading signs and hearing it on campus assists with my comprehension of the language.

You think you have a decent grasp of the French language until you walk into a restaurant in Gatineau and overhear a few conversations:

Someone is complaining about a wooden mouth…

Someone else is talking about having a fat morning…

And then, someone is jumping from rooster to donkey…

You thought your translating skills were excellent, but you can’t make sense of any of it. Welcome to the quirky French idioms that are a part of a native speaker’s repertoire and that you should know...

To further solidify its place in the global community, the University of Ottawa has created the new position of Vice-President, International and Francophonie. The position was approved by the Board of Governors on December 9, 2019.

More agile, connected, sustainable and impactful; this is what we aspire to become over the next 10 years. This ambitious plan contains four pillars, under which you will find a number of related objectives, strategies and actions. We hope you will not only be inspired by our vision, but that you will be able to work with your colleagues to bring it to life.

From November 6 to 8, 2019, the University of Ottawa hosted a delegation of 13 renowned universities from West and Central Africa in order to discuss potential partnerships between our institutions. This initiative, put forth by Enrolment Management under the leadership of Alain Malette, Senior Director, Enrolment Management and Oumar Ibrahima Toure, Strategic Advisor Sub-Sahara Africa, proved to be a compelling showcase for our respective realities and a launch pad for promising partnerships.

The University of Ottawa is proud to announce that Distinguished University Professor Shana Poplack, of the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, has received the André-Laurendeau Prize (article in French only), which honours excellence in the humanities. Sponsored by Acfas, the association for the advancement of science in Quebec and Francophone Canada, this award underscores the national and international influence of Poplack’s research and her major impact on the field of linguistics.

The University of Ottawa is proud to announce the nomination of four new research chairs to study the Francophone world as members of the Chaires de recherche sur le monde francophone (CRMF). Two of these researchers will work jointly with the Institut du Savoir Montfort, the research arm of Montfort Hospital.

Dr. Manon Denis-LeBlanc has always valued the Francophonie and Francophiles in every aspect of her life. “If there is one thing I’ve come to realize over the past few years, it’s that Francophiles have an important role to play in the survival of the Francophonie in Canada. And my work is to promote this Francophonie,” says the vice-dean of Francophone affairs at the Faculty of Medicine.

Thousands of you choose to study, learn, work or conduct research in French at the University of Ottawa. No matter where you’re from, you’re contributing to a vibrant culture of Francophonie in Ontario.

To celebrate Franco-Ontarian Day, we asked our community: What does being Franco-Ontarian mean to you?

The University of Ottawa hosts each year the Destination Clic program to allow French-speaking students outside Quebec to spend three weeks on campus. This program aims to improve and share the French language and culture as well as the discovery of a university experience like no others.

The Board of Governors has approved the appointment of Dr. Jill Scott as Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, for a five-year term, starting on September 1, 2019. Dr. Scott is responsible of Francophonie and bilingualism at the University of Ottawa and its promotion.

On May 10th, the University of Ottawa welcomed over fifty young Francophones from Franco-Ontarian high schools for the Concours provincial de français de l’Ontario. These exceptionally talented French-speaking students competed in a series of examinations measuring their language skills.

Many of our professors are the talk of the online magazine Découvrir, dedicated to knowledge issues. Take a look a the editorial conversation with François Charbonneau or read Lucie Hotte and Pierre Faucher's articles in the Canadian Francophonie issue.

In April 2019, alumna Catherine Cano (BSocSc ’84) began her term as administrator of the International Organization of la Francophonie (IOF). The IOF is a collection of 88 states and governments that govern some 300 million Francophones around the world, making it the second-largest institution of its kind after the United Nations (UN).

March is Mois de la Francophonie. The University is joining people around the world in celebrating the French language and French culture in all its forms. Whether it’s your mother tongue or you’re new to the language of Molière, here’s why members of our community have chosen to immerse themselves in French.